Feanklin a



(No Model.)

Y F. A. SMITH, Jr.

Separable Button.

No. 239,627. Patnted April 5,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLlN A. SMITH, JR., F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SEPARABLE BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,627, dated April 5, 1881.

Application filed February 24, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN A. SMITH, Jr., a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Providence, in the county ot' Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separable Buttons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled proved construction and arrangement" ot' the spring which connects together the front and rear portions of the button.

It'furthereoisists of an improved construction of the front and rear portions, which form l the complete button, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an enlarged vertical section of my complete device; Fig. 2, Va top-plan view of the inner face of the front portion with the spring removed; Fig. 3, a bottom-plan view 0f the same, and Figs. 4 and 5 detail views of the spring.

Similar letters of reference occurring on the several gures indicate like parts.

My present invention is composed of the front and rear portions, held together by a spring of novel construction and arrangement.

A represents the front portion, formed of the tubular post B, provided with the ange C, the post B being rounded or beveled `upon its inner end, and having two holes or openings, a, punched therein, leaving a bridge or bar, b, between the two, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upper face of the ange C, over the opening in the tubular post B, is provided with a slot or indentation, c, as shown in Fig. 3, the object of which is such that the upper part of the spring connecting the two parts may be snugly fitted therein.

The spring D may be formed of any suitable metal or wire bent or cut into shape not unlike that ota pair of tongs, and having a crossba'r, d, at the upper end and two downwardlydepending legs, e, terminating in curved or barbed ends f, as fully shown in Figs. 4 and 5. rlhe spring thus formed is connected to the front portion A by passing the legs e down through the post B and out the openings a in the end of the same until the cross-bar d rests in the slot c in the iange C, where it may be secured in place by soldering, or by having the button-front E rolled down upon it and over the edges ot the flange C, as show n in Fig. 1.

The rear portion of the button is formed of a hollow tube or post, F, connected to the flange G, the openingin said tube being large enough to receive the spring D and post B of the front portion, A, as shown in Fig. 1. `The lower portion ot this post F is made daring, so as to provide an enlarged recess to receive the ends of the spring D, which, spreading apart in said recess, serves to hold the front and rear portions of the button together.

A back plate, H, maybe rolled over upon the flange Gr, as shown in Fig. l, to complete the finish of the button.

By means of my present invention itl will observed that the legs e ot' the spring D are protected by the post B, in which they are placed, the'slotted end of the post allowing the ends of the spring to expand sufficiently to permit ofits being pushed into 0r withdrawn from the rear portion, F.

The4 bridge b, between the two projecting ends of the spring, prevents the legs e of the spring from being pressed too closely together, thus obviating a serious defect in the ordinary construction of separable buttons, wherein the legs ot' the springs, being unprotected, soon lose their elasticity by repeated use, and, becoming pressed together,renders themuseless.

Having thus described my invention, wh at I' claim as new and useful isl. As an improved article of manufacture, a separable button consisting ofthe front portion, A, composed of the post B, provided with openings et, flange C, provided with slot c, and spring D, having cross-bar d` and legs e, connected to ange C by the frontW'E, rolled bev thereon, and the rear portion formed of theI E rolled thereon, substantially a s and for the post F, with flaring base, lange G, and rear purpose specified. [o plate, H, rolled thereon,substantially as spee- In testimony whereof I affix my signet-ure ed. in presence of two witnesses.

5 2. In a separable button, the sprin g D, hav- FRANKLIN AUGUSTUS SMITH, J R.

ing oross-bar d ancl legs e, in combination with Vitnesses the post B, having openings a, separated by D. G. BODMAN. bridge b, and flange C, having slot c andfront GEO. W. PRENTIGE. 

